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Robert S. Calvert

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert S. Calvert
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
In office
January 18, 1949 – January 3, 1975
GovernorBeauford Jester
Allan Shivers
Price Daniel
John Connally
Preston Smith
Dolph Briscoe
Preceded byGeorge H. Sheppard
Succeeded byBob Bullock
Personal details
Born
Robert Seale Calvert

(1892-04-27)April 27, 1892
McGregor, Texas, U.S.
DiedSeptember 1, 1981(1981-09-01) (aged 89)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Resting placeAustin Memorial Park Cemetery
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materHoward Payne Junior College
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Years of service1917-1919
RankSergeant
Battles/warsWorld War I

Robert Seale Calvert (April 27, 1892 – September 1, 1981) was the longest-serving Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, serving for 26 years.

From 1909 to 1910, Calvert attended Baptist-affiliated Howard Payne Junior College in Brownwood, Texas.

On January 18, 1949, Calvert was appointed by Governor Beauford Jester to the position of Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts following the death of his predecessor, George H. Sheppard, who died in office. He was elected to a full term in 1950 and re-elected in 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1972, serving for twenty-six years.

When the African American then State Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, later a member of the United States House of Representatives, filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1973, Calvert said in response, that Johnson was a "nigger woman who doesn't know what she is talking about." The EEOC ruled that racial discrimination could be inferred based on Calvert's response.[1]

In 1972, Randy Pendleton, a former legislator from Andrews in West Texas, and Jim Wilson, a former employee, ran against Calvert. There was a run-off between Calvert and Wilson, in which Calvert won.

In 1974, Bob Bullock announced that he would challenge the octogenarian comptroller and promised to reform operations of the office. Bullock was so aggressive that Calvert withdrew from the race, and Bullock was elected to the first of four terms.

Calvert died in Austin in September 1981.

Sources

[edit]
  1. ^ "Black Legislator in Texas moves to impeach official", Jet, Johnson Publishing Company, p. 10, October 11, 1973, retrieved December 5, 2009
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
1950, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Dan Barnhart
Republican nominee for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
1952
Vacant
Title next held by
Aleene Smith
Political offices
Preceded by Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
1949-1975
Succeeded by